Mumbai, Jan 13 (NationPress) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday called on the tourism department to give precedence to programs that would enhance Maharashtra's tourism to meet international benchmarks. He stressed the importance of leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, chatbots, and online translation tools to facilitate effortless, one-click access to travel information.

To optimize efforts, he instructed the formation of a Tourism Advisory Committee to be led by the Principal Secretary of the Tourism Department. This committee will concentrate on identifying and promoting state monuments that draw tourists, inspired by the successful model of Madhya Pradesh.

Fadnavis also pointed out the necessity for quicker approvals and assistance from the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums concerning tourism projects. While reviewing the department’s 100-day plan, he emphasized the need for guidelines to be issued across crucial departments, including forest, urban development, rural development, home, and energy, to guarantee effective execution of the Tourism Policy 2024.

He proposed innovative projects such as mobile tent cities at Markanda, Lonar, and Kalsubai, as well as Blue Beach camping at Tarkarli and Kashid Beach. To boost visitor interaction, he suggested collaboration with artist Sudarshan Patnaik to establish sand art training and exhibition facilities on beaches.

For enhanced tourist safety, Fadnavis announced intentions to deploy a Tourism Police Force. He also underscored significant projects like the Ram-Kal Path Development in Nashik and marine tourism in Sindhudurg, which will be monitored through the CM’s war room.

In addition, he directed the department to incorporate 14 tourism services into the Aaple Sarkar platform under the State Public Service Right Act.

In a separate meeting discussing the school education department’s 100-day plan, the Chief Minister stressed the importance of enhancing teacher quality to position Maharashtra as a leader in education. “Good teachers are an asset. By utilizing their expertise, we can effect a significant change,” he remarked.

He advocated for the integration of constitutional values into the curriculum as part of the Amrit Jubilee Year celebrations of the Constitution. The CM also called for the digitization of data concerning schools, teachers, and students to facilitate informed decision-making.

Fadnavis encouraged ongoing bicycle distributions to improve school attendance and proposed celebrating the first day of school with visits from ministers and dignitaries. He also underscored the importance of educating stakeholders on the advantages of group schools for institutions with smaller student populations.

School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse had already announced a compulsory national anthem in schools; effective implementation of the Marathi language; geo-tagging and mapping of all schools and Anganwadi centers by 2025-26; and the establishment of one school per cluster as a CM Shri School, akin to the PM Shri School Scheme.

The department will verify Aadhaar details of students, reorganize school management committees, and expedite teacher recruitment procedures.

Fadnavis also reviewed the marketing department's 100-day plan, directing focus on ensuring smooth soybean procurement. He mandated the creation of a permanent mechanism to streamline this process, with preparations for procurement set to commence in October ahead of the November season.

He suggested establishing agro-logistics hubs across the state’s four divisions and expanding onion chawl storage facilities to meet rising demand.

“A system should be established so that soybean procurement can continue without any issues. A proposal should be submitted for the setup of an agro-logistics hub in each of the state’s four divisions. Onion chawl is an excellent option for onion storage, considering the high demand. Hence, it should be expanded,” he stated.